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July 31, 2018

What You Can Do to Help Local Teens, Now

Article Alexander Williard

Since 1976, YouthZone has educated tens of thousands of local teens and their family members, empowering them to continue making healthier choices. We understand that growing up comes with its challenges. We also believe that everyone, especially our community’s youth, deserves an opportunity for structured forgiveness, along with a chance to learn from their mistakes. By guiding teens with counseling support, rather than simply punishing behavior, we can promote growth through personal accountability. That’s why, from Aspen to Parachute, YouthZone offers nonpunitive alternatives to court sentencings, such as restorative justice and various court deferment options, to keep kids off the path to prison and on the road to recovery. Read below to learn how you can ‘Connect and Grow’ with YouthZone—and help promote our mission to foster positive youth development in the Roaring Fork Valley. Visit YouthZone.com for more information.

Alexander Williard is YouthZone’s Communications Coordinator and an Americorps VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) member.

Time

It’s a common misconception that the only thing which enables nonprofit organizations to grow are their donors. While funding is a necessity to maintain YouthZone’s operations, a gift of your time is just as valuable to all the teens who benefit from our evidence-based services. There are many ways to get involved on a personal level. You can become a PALS Mentor, sit in during a restorative justice circle, or even tag along for a Friday or Saturday service project. If you’ve ever considered volunteering your time, why not give it to some of the most vulnerable members of our community?

Resources

What about those of us who’d like to volunteer, but might already have a full schedule trying to juggle work and family obligations? Or maybe you’d like to support the growth of YouthZone’s operations, but you have reached your financial limit? Fortunately there are additional ways in which you can ‘Connect and Grow’ with us. If your business or employer is interested in supporting YouthZone with a tax deductible in-kind donation or service, you’re ensuring the highest quality experience for our clients and their families. Any gift of support is valuable.

Funds

While grants play an important role in securing YouthZone programming, we still rely on the continued generosity of our community-centered donor base. By making a financial gift to YouthZone through The Legacy Club, scheduled monthly gifts, or one lump sum, you’re not only telling our youth they’re worth it—you’re saying the community is worth it. The only way to truly champion our community is to take ownership of it. That means we must celebrate our neighbors during the good times, and ensure our support through the tough ones. Please consider YouthZone for your philanthropic goals.